She knelt in front of him, and how he wanted to believe her smile. The same face she wore when he was little with skinned knees or a broken toy. Only now it didn't make him feel safer. Far from it. Michael was terrified of what Lucy had become.
Max entered the video shop at half past eight, once the lights of the boardwalk rides were well-lit, and the sun properly set. He truly loved his city, in the way any predator might. Easy hunting whenever he liked, plenty of food. Plenty of lost children searching for their parents. Like the little boy he observed just outside of his shop, rubbing at his eyes and weeping.
He was prepared to wear his fatherly guise, to help the child in need. A light supper sounded lovely, he mused - - until Max saw her.
She was sweet. Delicate. Someone who looked as if a stiff breeze would snap her in half, yet so very willing to stop and lend a kindness to a little boy. Max hardly registered much of what she said, or what he did in turn. He offered the boy a lollipop from his collection of bait, and exchanged pleasantries with the woman.
His boys showed up within a minute or two, as if they somehow sensed Max's barely contained giddiness. Max simultaneously chastised them, while encouraging David to probe into the woman's mind with a familiar gesture. He wanted to find out everything he could about her. David's gift was the strongest of his family.
Long after they had departed, and Max offered the woman a job, he found himself retiring with a broad smile in his house. Lucy. Such a lovely name. Lucy. The kindest souls took to killing so beautifully. He would enjoy breaking her. After all, it was high time his boys had a mother.
"Mom, where do you want these?" Sam asked, hopping ahead of his elder brother with a box in hand. A few books stuck out from the top, some decorative ashtrays and figurines. How difficult and yet simple it had been to boil down her whole life into just a few boxes that fit in her car. She could only imagine how silly her father would think that line of thoughts was, if he were still with them. January had been a trying month with the divorce, but May was so much worse.
"In my room, just on the dresser, honey," she advised, snooping through the kitchen cupboards. There was just so much to do. At least she'd found a job.
"Michael!" Lucy called out, opening the kitchen window to let some fresh air in. Her eldest trailed into the kitchen with a pink mechanic towel in his hands. He was furiously rubbing grease and dust on his fingers to dislodge it from his skin.
"Mom, you said his friends are coming over this week to help clear out all that stuff, right?" He asked, wrinkling his nose
Lucy smiled at him, nodding, "yes, Michael, but I might need you to be home when they do if this new job I have lined up works out."
"Sure," Michael agreed, though he looked a little disappointed. From what she gathered about the previous night when Sam had teased his brother over their carry out pizza, he'd met a girl. He was probably planning on talking to her again.
"Honey, it will just be in the afternoon. Then you can go out if you want, I just need a little help."
He gave a slight shrug, returning her smile in kind, "got it. No problem, mom."
Lucy held open her arms and gestured delicately with her hands, "thank you. Now, hug me and mean it!"
His eyes said 'mom!'
Lucy's eyes said 'Michael!'
She won their brief battle of wills between mother and son, and Michael embraced her. It was the sort of hug that told her they would be ok. Then Sam magically appeared and joined them.
"You boys are the only reason I can smile," she told them softly, "never forget how much I love you, you got that?"
"Hey, are we keeping the car?" Sam blurted out, referring to the '57 Ford Fairlane her father had left behind in the garage. It had been one of his pride and joys. Then there was the jeep, but she doubted Sam cared much for it. The floorboards reeked of mildew and roadkill.
"No," Michael replied, dislodging himself from the group hug and carefully keeping his soiled mechanic's rag from touching either of them in the process. "I've got my bike, mom's got her car, and you're fourteen. We don't need it, Sam."
"I'll be eighteen in four years!" Sam protested.
Lucy gave her youngest a peck on the head and ruffled his hair, "honey, we've got a lot of debt to pay down. One of his friends made a very good offer for the car and the jeep that will go a long way so we can keep this house and go into the new school year with new clothes for both of you. When you're a little older, we'll talk about a new car."
Sam perked up at the mention of new clothes. She knew he would. "Who knows," Lucy went on, turning back to the kitchen counter, "maybe we'll even be able to buy a tv soon."
It was too early to discuss an advance on her pay, given that she hadn't even had her first day of work, but Lucy was certain that with the money they would get from selling her father's things that they would be in a very good position. She'd be able to stock the fridge to the brim, too. Things were a little tight right then, and lord knew they'd all been through their fair share of stress and pain, but the future looked bright. So bright Lucy wouldn't be surprised if it burnt her.
David curled a gloved finger through one of Star's locks, savoring the look of fear and reluctant attraction in her face. Oh, she could try to hide it all she liked. That was all part of the game. A game David never lost.
"We'll be leaving soon," he informed her, an arm wrapped tightly about her waist to keep her from trying to climb off of his lap. Not too long ago, when she didn't know what they were, Star wouldn't have dreamed of pulling away from him. The bitter truth of what they were had a funny way of pricking at a halfling's conscience. Pity. She'd make a great monster once she got over herself.
"David," Star said his name, frozen in place, hands twisting into her spangled skirt to keep them from touching him. She was so very afraid of herself.
"You want to stay home tonight?" He asked, feigning concern. It wasn't remotely convincing. His eyes trailed towards Dwayne, who'd handed Laddie a comic to keep the kid distracted. A child half-turned was a liability. If neither Laddie nor Star gave in soon, they'd have to be dealt with. For now, they had a few more days wherein the boys would play nice. David liked to think of it like a grace period. All the better when it was time to finally have a little more fun with them.
"We can stay here? We don't have to go out?" Star asked, eyes jerking back towards his face. This was about the boy on the boardwalk, no doubt. She had a knack for picking up strays.
David grinned, the effect on her just as delicious as it might have been if he wasn't wearing his human guise, "you don't want to?" He asked innocently. His hand trailed away from her hair and over her spine, dancing and playing a feather light melody to elicit a shiver or two from the halfling.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," she replied, visibly shaking now. She didn't want David to hurt her either.
"Star," he spoke her name with only the slightest edge.. A warning. A request. A promise. Marko and Paul, who'd been fiddling with the radio on the fountain edge, looked towards the pair. So did Dwayne, settled back on the couch as relaxed as a house cat.
Nothing more was said. They went to the boardwalk. Dwayne deposited Laddie near a ride in the idle hope he'd make a kill or wander off. Sooner or later, if Max's latest interest panned out, the woman he'd picked would want to adopt the kid and keep him in their house.
When they parked, and Star moved to leave him, David's hand reached out to snatch at hers, a ghost of a claw on his index finger brushing over her palm. Her eyes widened only briefly, confused.
"You'll bring him back to us, Star. Make your first kill."
Marko nibbled on his thumb, watching the pair. Hiding a smile. Of the four, Marko had always enjoyed watching these exchanges the most.
David let her go, watching Star filter through the crowd. A spirit of the never-ending party that the lights and carnival music brought to life. She was radiant. No siren could be more beguiling.
Leaning against his own bike, Paul drummed a steady rhythm on his knees. He was wound tight tonight, ready to be let loose. The hunter danced below the surface of his skin, ready to come out and play. Watching Star fight her own hunger only whetted his own appetite.
"Paul," David warned, forcing his packmate to reign himself in just a tiny bit. Enough to behave himself tonight, at the very least. They had a plan, and if Paul took Star's promised kill before she could even reject it – well, they'd have to try again tomorrow night, and time was running short. The whole pack's patience was on the verge of snapping. To live for so many days with not just one, but two halflings was driving all of them a little mad.
"Paul," Dwayne's voice echoed through their mental bond, the raven-haired vampire sidling up behind him and resting a hand on Paul's hip from behind his bike. It had a calming enough effect. Soon they would have a party. A big one. There was always one or another happening this time of year.
For now, they decided to ride a little further down, picked off a drifter or two below the docks to sate their hunger, and returned just in time to find Star attempting to make her leave with her lovesick quarry. David liked the look of him.
"This is Michael," Star told David after a brief inquiry, barely hiding her reluctance to share. Michael.
The blonde was stricken then, remembering Max's little lady at the store. He'd glimpsed a few of her thoughts. Knew her son's names. Was this a coincidence, he wondered?
After the race, it didn't matter much. David decided almost instantly that Star wouldn't be eating this one after all. When Michael punched him, and David felt the taste of his own blood in his mouth, he nearly shivered with excitement. How fun…
"How about dinner?" Max asked, smiling at Lucy with an air of genuine kindness. She wasn't quite taken aback, but a little surprised that on her first night he threw the question out with such ease. Lucy smiled, unsure how to answer. He'd just begun to walk her through the process of checking out a video tape, and now…
"Max, you're very nice," Lucy replied. "But I have two sons, and we're just beginning to adjust to the move. A lot has happened to all of us recently, and–"
"Just a nice, light supper. I assure you, Lucy, I don't want to pressure you if it's too much so early. After all, we only just met."
Lucy hesitated, looking up at the ceiling and then back at Max with a weak smile, "well," she began, "I don't see why not. I mean if you don't mind, I don't mind. I don't mind." She knew she must sound silly, repeating herself. Men didn't take interest in her at this age like they had when she was a little younger. Her ex-husband had certainly never made Lucy feel especially wanted. She wasn't used to this.
"Marvelous. Tomorrow night, say 8:30? I know a nice place with a wonderful atmosphere, food, and wine. Excellent wine. We'll get to know each other."
Max's gaze was kind. A little intense, but genuinely kind. Lucy allowed herself a moment to play with the notion that maybe–just maybe things would be okay.
"That sounds lovely," she agreed. It was short notice, but tomorrow she would ask Michael to look after Sam. Lucy really did like the idea of a date with Max. He was so very kind.